Tommy Tiernan milks applause and tackles sacred cows at Live at the Marquee

Loping onstage and deftly swatting away a heckler within the first two minutes of his set, Tommy Tiernan was on top form at the Marquee.

The crowd were all dressed up and many had a pint or cocktail or two and were ready to be entertained. Laughter bubbled up the moment he took to the stage but Tiernan took nothing for granted.

He had a planned routine but is seasoned enough to veer away from it to make a cutting local observation or to eviscerate a second heckler who didn’t learn from the first one — and then get right back on track.